Somebody once said we don’t decide who we love. The world decides for us. But I disagree.I believe love is a decision.Who we love, how we love.It’s in our control–in our hands.I grew up having no clue about the true meaning of love. Money. Cars. Houses. Status. Fame. That’s what love means to the people around me.It wasn’t until the woman I picked up in a bar came back into my life and showed me … came back into my life and showed me love can be so much more.
So, what’s the problem?
The woman I’m falling in love with believes in fairytales. She compares everything to a storybook and wants the happily-ever-after.
So while she’s stuck on recreating stories that have already been told, page by page, I’m showing her it’s time we write our own book.
Nobody ever said the journey of falling in love would be easy, just that it would be worth it.
The Pickup is a standalone sports romance
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Another amazing story by Nikki Ash! It all started with a one night stand, what could go wrong? A little plot twist, some laugh out loud moments and amazing supporting characters will keep you wanting more and more. Nick and Olivia’s story is one that you are rooting for from the beginning. Who wouldn’t want a fairytale story? This book is the first in her new series and I cant wait for book two in April!
5 Star review of The Pickup (Imperfect Love #1) by Nikki Ash
Both the author Nikki Ash and narrator Tim Paige are new to me. The Pickup is a second chance at love story that was enjoyable.
They say that love can be like a fairytale and that is what heroine Liv believes, looking for her Disney prince; Nick is a pro footballer who has given up on finding love after numerous break ups.
After a one night stand Liv and Nick part ways with Nick feeling rejected. However fate has a way of interfering and they meet again. As with their first meeting, the chemistry between Nick and Liv sizzles.
Can the passion that ignites between them morph into more? I really liked Nick, he was so swoon worthy. Liv was strong and determined and someone I could be friends with.
Although Tim Paige did a good job, I do feel that the story might have benefitted from dual or duet narration, but then that is just my opinion.
#AudiobookObsessionReviewer
Nick believes in love and wants to have a family unlike the one he was raised up in, while building his football career. Olivia is trying to find her way in life after her mother passes away. This is the best sports romanace I have read in a long time. You don’t want to miss this awesome read!!!
One night stand, unexpected/secret baby. What more is there to want and need?!
This is actually the first book by Nikki Ash I read, and I was hooked. The Pickup is a sports romance rom-com, with fairytales and football.
Nick and Olivia’s story gave us all the feels we could want from a book. After a one night stand Nick wakes to Liv being come with a note basically thanking him for the night. After that night Nick couldn’t shake her from his mind but had to focus on his football career. About nine months later when the finally meet up again it’s not till then does their story really begin
Nick is a general soul who believes that finding love can make you happy and money just causes problems. He’s so driven in wanting to making everyone happy he forgets what it is that he truly loves and wanted; till Olivia came back into his life.
Olivia as grown up believing in that fairytale romances to happen. She’s caring, loyal and wants to take care of other around her. But she’s so set on the happy-ever-after that she could lose out on the one bc she is scared to try.
The journey of these two is heartwarming. Loved seeing them come together as a couple and as parents. I also loved the group of friends and Olivia’s dad and stepmom. Nick’s parents, I definitely wanted to slap a few times. Definitely can’t wait for Giselle and Killian’s story in the next book.
5 Stars! Highly recommend!
Important information….
ITS A NIKKI ASH BOOK!!!
That’s all you really need to know, right?! Nothing else really matters. Plain and simple. Lol
Ok, I guess you want more!! Geez, greedy boogers!!
So this book is about the guy, trying get the girl. Said guy is Nicolas Shaw and said girl is Olivia Harper. Or was the girl Celeste? I WILL NEVER TELL!!!
Either way, no matter who he was chasing, or should I say picking up.. …Nick was clueless the whole damn time. I loved him, he was awesome, when he wasn’t being an asshole that is. Haha
The girl…she was something fierce. She was determined. She was everything a good female character should be. I instantly wanted to become her best friend.
Now the other female who was mentioned above, I hated. I wanted to slap, punch, kick, and maul her. But now that I’m done with the book, MAYBE…and that’s a HUGE MAYBE…I might of KINDA been too tough on her.
I loved this book, plan and simple. It made my heart melt. It made my blood boil. It made me smile. It made me laugh. This book, I couldn’t get enough of. Now I need the next book, and the next. I can’t wait to read the next ones in this series.
I was instantly hooked. Which shouldn’t surprise me, because like I said…its a Nikki Ash book. Its amazaballs…plain and simple!! I love her mind. I love her words. I love the worlds she creates. She always leaves me in my feels, both good and bad. I can’t get enough of her!
The Pickup is a contemporary sports romance. Nick and Olivia meet at a time when both have been burned by love. After a one night stand, although they both felt a spark of something more, they go their separate ways. 9 months later and Olivia has finally found her mystery man and Nick has found the woman he never stopped wondering about and a little something else…
The writing was good and this book is easy to fall into a binge-reading session. Nick had to learn to trust and to fight for the love he’s always wanted to find, as well as for what he really wants. Olivia had to realize that she can’t keep expecting the fairytale she’s dreamt of, especially if she’s not gonna have the courage to let love in when it knocks.
In the beginning of the book, I was so annoyed with some of the side characters. They were hitting my last nerve and I was on the fence with Nick, he just kept them around. Also, I’ve always been really turned off by guys who are so desperate for love they swear they have it with every girl who comes along. In my opinion, Olivia and Nick got together so fast. The second half of the book started to lose my interest. I didn’t connect with these characters very much.
All in all, this was still an entertaining read and I did like the surprise baby trope and the character growth present in the book. I just didn’t love it.
Great characters and good job weaving of story line and secondary characters. Very enjoyable.
Loved it in the process of reading the other books in the series
I read all of this series after reading this first book-loved them all!
On the same day Nick broke his arm trying to win his 4th super bowl ring, his girlfriend tells him that she can’t be with him anymore because the thought of having a family with him is terrifying. With no team to play for and nothing tying him to his home, he moves to New York to be near his best friend who helps him recover. On one of their many single nights out, Nick meets Liv, they hit if off and end up back at her hotel. Nine months later they meet again but this time it wasn’t so pleasant as Liv is about to have a baby and she found that Nick lied about who he is. Oh, and she is the coach’s daughter for the new team Nick is playing on. Awkward.
I enjoyed this book because it was sweet and cute and endearing with how much Nick was all in once he got over the initial shock. I also liked that Liv wasn’t a damsel in distress that needed saving. But I just didn’t feel anything when reading this one. I think it was a case of it is me not you so I would still recommend this one but for me I just didn’t feel it.
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Lovers of contemporary romance: If you get the reference, you’ll love this book. If you don’t, you’ll love this book.
Just like that, Olivia has always dreamt about having what her parents had: eternal love. The kind of love you see on movies, the ones told in fairytales.
Nick is also a man who refuses to believe that people live their lives only to acquire things that money can buy. All his life, he’s been surrounded by people who were only interested in how much he got in his bank account. He was forced to think that being financially worthy would be his only great achievement in life. Regardless, he wants true love.
When Nick and Olivia’s paths cross, the unexpected happens, and the development of the story is deliciously fun!
I love how the book is well-paced and the way Ash is able to keep us smiling and wondering how things are gonna fit together in order to have a HEA.
I was so excited that I called my sister and told her the whole story, screaming and swooning and wishing this could also be a film. Hello, @passionflix!
The Pickup by @authornikkiash is another great book added to my swoony list. It is quite different from everything I’ve read and yet I have to say that being my second book of hers, all I can think about is reading more of Nikki’s. Next, please!
4 “Fairytale Love” Stars
I was really excited to start another series by Nikki Ash. Lately, I’ve been devouring her words with avidity. The Pickup started the Imperfect Love Series in a very good way. This lovely sports romance / secret baby romance was utterly adorable.
There’s something about a one-night stand turning into so much more than I really enjoy in books. That’s where the story starts for Nick and Olivia. They share a night of passion where they connect on a deeper level, but the day after they loose contact. Months later, when they come in each other’s lives again: surprise, Olivia is pregnant.
Nick has a lot to overcome to get the girl though. After a few reticence at first to embrace his paternity, he slowly gets attached. I felt so sad for him and his situation with his horrible parents. The way they never supported him and only used him had my heart breaking. He’s such a great guy with lots to offer to Olivia and his baby, but the doubts related to his upbringing with absent parents make the start of their relationship stormy. Olivia has her own dreams about her future. She’s looking for the fairytale love story and Nick definitely isn’t it at first view.
The way their romance evolves was breathtaking. Nick is just so considerate and sweet. He shows that he’s a great dad and the pull between Olivia and him still so strong. I loved how dreamy he is and all the cute allusions to Disney princess stories had me smiling so big.
The supporting characters made this read even more appealing. There’s something between Giselle and Killian that has me intrigued. There’s also Celeste that looked to be a bitch at first, but ended up being a great friend to Nick through it all. She’s definitely intriguing with her heart so closed to love. These characters without a doubt brought another dimension to this book that stole my heart. I can’t wait for more.
I loved this story, the characters, I loved it all.
Nick is a cynic, doesn’t understand love, doesn’t want kids, will settle for a loveless marriage. Liv believes in fairytales, wants the forever, the happy ever after. A one night stand changes both there lives for ever.
The Pickup is a sweet sports rom-com, narrated by Tim Paige, and he did an amazing job with bringing these characters to life.
I was gifted this audible book by narrator for a fair and honest review.
Pleasantly surprised with how much I loved this baby/sports romance! Nick is a football player who loses his faith in finding love, and Olivia is a successful and smart woman in search of her Prince Charming. A chance meeting and an unforgettable one night stand, Nick thought he lost any chance of ever seeing Olivia again… until fate brings them back together with a baby to boot! I loved how Nick fought for a second chance at love and how Olivia got the fairy tale that she deserved. This was my first book by Nikki Ash, but it certainly won’t be the last. I look forward to reading the next in the series. A new-to-me narrator, Tim Paige, did an amazing job with the narration. I loved both his male and female points of view, and his secondary voices were very distinct and fit the personalities perfectly.
This book has a couple twists that will catch your attention and keep it there all the way until the happy ending. I enjoyed listening to this book and will definitely be looking into more from the author as well as the narrator.
Loved it!!!
The Pickup
Imperfect Love, Book 1
By: Nikki Ash
Narrated by: Tim Paige
Nikki Ash, why is this my first book by you? I really enjoyed this story. Sports romance, second chances this book has a little of everything. Nick is a pro football player looking for lust. He find Olivia, who is looking to sleep away her ex! The two get together for an explosive one night stand, and he is left the next morning with a note. Figuring they would never see each other again, they are both surprised to find each other under unexpected circumstances. Will they find their happily ever after? It’s funny, it’s surprising, with that warm and fuzzy feeling. I loved Nick. He surprised me with his expressions when he first saw Olivia again, but then his perseverance to win her over was so loving and endearing, it is impossible not to love him. Olivia is a tough cookie, a little harder to warm up to. She is guarded for good reason, but once her shell cracks, it is smooth sailing! Twists, turns, laughs and passion make this a great listen!
Tim Paige is amazing. It’s my first listen by him and I adored his voice. He has a great pace, a good variety of voices and his ability to tell the story is impeccable. I really enjoyed his performance.
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I’m a sucker for secret pregnancy books. Especially secret pregnancy where the secrecy is unintentional. in The Pickup, Olivia and Nick have a one-night stand without sharing contact details. When they meet again, Olivia is heavily pregnant and their relationship is jump-started. This is a beautiful story about a couple learning to be parents and then lovers. They both have reasons for being hesitant to enter into a relationship but their son ties them together permanently. Nikki Ash is an excellent writer and I can’t wait to read the next book!
I liked the book, but I go back and forth on my opinion on Nick. He’s so confusing to me. I didn’t like his reaction when he reconnects with Olivia. I don’t understand how he got that jaded during their separation. I also don’t understand why both he and his friend Celeste were so focused on sticking to a pact made by a 16 year old. I also don’t understand why Nick continued his relationship with his parents after he got his own money. They never his who they were. Despite Nick I would still recommend this book.